Cleopatra. In art, Cleopatra is portrayed as a symbol of beauty, power, and sensuality, often depicted in scenes that highlight her political influence and dramatic life.
In ancient Roman art, she is shown as a regal figure associated with luxury and wealth, sometimes portrayed alongside Julius Caesar or Mark Antony to emphasize her political alliances. Renaissance and Baroque artists, such as Jean-Léon Gérôme and Guido Reni, often depicted her in dramatic, emotional moments like her death by snakebite, emphasizing her exotic allure and tragic fate.
In modern art, Cleopatra continues to be a muse, symbolizing both feminine power and the complexities of her legend, with portrayals varying between seductress, queen, and tragic heroine. Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, nominally survived as pharaoh by her son Caesarion.
As a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, Cleopatra was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great. After the death of Cleopatra, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the Hellenistic period that had lasted since the reign of Alexander.
Her native language was Koine Greek and she was the first Ptolemaic ruler to learn the Egyptian language. In 58 BC, Cleopatra presumably accompanied her father Ptolemy XII during his exile to Rome afte